ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir Ambassador Yousef M. Al Dobeay has concluded his five-day visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Foreign Office of Pakistan said that during the visit the Special Envoy and his high-level delegation called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and also held meetings with the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, and the Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood.
A delegation of representatives of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also met with the OIC delegation and apprised it of the aggravating situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K).
During the meetings, the Pakistani leadership appreciated OIC’s steadfast support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the aftermath of India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019.
The Special Envoy was apprised of the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in the IOJ&K and the threat to peace and security owing to India’s belligerent rhetoric and aggressive actions.
It was emphasized that the Kashmiris looked towards the OIC and Muslim Ummah for active support for the realization of their fundamental rights and for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
OIC Sec. General’s Sp. Envoy on J&K Yousef M. Al Dobeay reaffirmed priority that @OIC_OCI accords to J&K dispute during his recent visit to #Pakistan.
Meeting with Kashmiri leadership in AJK & visit to LoC gave first hand view of deteriorating situation #KashmirLockdown pic.twitter.com/UMeai5FbR4
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) March 6, 2020
In AJK, the delegation held meetings with President of Azad Kashmir Masood Khan and Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, and visited the Line of Control (LoC) as well as a refugee camp in Muzaffarabad. In their interactions, the AJK leadership commended the OIC’s commitment to the Kashmir cause and their support for the oppressed people of the IOJ&K.
During its visit to the LoC at Chakothi, the delegation was briefed about the loss of civilian lives and damage to property due to frequent unprovoked firings by the Indian forces across the LoC. At the refugee camp in Muzaffarabad, the delegation interacted with refugees from the IOJ&K to get first-hand understanding of the sufferings of Kashmiris under India’s illegal occupation.
The Special Envoy emphasized that Kashmir and Palestine remained the top-most items on the OIC agenda.
Reaffirming the OIC’s principled position, the Special Envoy stated that the Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute which calls for its peaceful settlement in accordance with the relevant UN and OIC resolutions. He assured that the OIC will take all necessary steps to alleviate the sufferings of the Kashmiris and help resolve the dispute according to the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
This was the first visit of Ambassador Yousef M. Al Dobeay to Pakistan and AJK after his appointment as the OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir during the 14th Summit of OIC held in Makkah in May 2019. The visit was also a reaffirmation of the OIC’s commitment to the Kashmir cause.
